The United States has significantly expanded its controversial visa bond program, with travellers from 38 countries now potentially required to lodge bonds of up to US$15,000 in order to secure entry visas.
The policy expansion, confirmed this week by the U.S. Department of State, adds 25 countries to the original list announced in August 2025, bringing the total number of affected nations to 38. The updated measures will take effect from 21 January.
The visa bond requirement applies to selected applicants seeking B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visas, and forms part of a 12-month pilot program aimed at reducing visa overstays.
How the visa bond program works
Under the scheme, US consular officers are given discretion to require eligible applicants from designated countries to post a bond of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000, depending on perceived overstay risk.
The Department of State has indicated that US$10,000 is the expected standard amount, although officers may impose a higher bond if deemed necessary during the visa interview. Importantly, payment of a bond does not guarantee visa approval.
If visa conditions are met and the traveller departs the US on time, the bond is fully refunded.
Travellers subject to the bond must also enter and exit the US via one of three approved airports:
- Boston Logan International Airport
- New York JFK
- Washington Dulles International Airport
Failure to comply with these entry and exit requirements may result in denied entry or departure records not being properly registered.
The State Department has confirmed the list of countries may be updated on an ongoing basis.
Industry concerns grow
The expanded visa bond list presents another hurdle for the US inbound tourism sector, which has yet to fully recover to pre-pandemic visitor levels. Monthly inbound arrivals throughout 2025 remained consistently below 2019 benchmarks.
Several newly added African nations – including Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and Senegal – have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to attract millions of international visitors to the US.
Meanwhile, fans from Haiti and Iran – also World Cup qualifiers – are currently unable to obtain visas due to separate US travel bans, further raising concerns around accessibility and visitor deterrents.
Adding to industry unease, reports late last year indicated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is considering requiring up to five years of social media history from travellers entering under the Visa Waiver Program – a move tourism bodies fear could further dampen demand.
Countries now subject to US visa bonds
Africa (24):
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia:
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
North America:
Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica
South America:
Venezuela
Oceania:
Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
